I sang a little while and then flew on.

Because the band billed themselves as The Warlocks to get around the problems preventing them from playing Hampton, the show gets lumped in with the more famous second night. It's interesting history but that alone doesn't make the show and overall it's an average to below-average show for '89. There are a couple highpoints and a few trainwrecks. It would have been better if GDP had released a cheaper box set of just the second night.

1st Set. After a slow start, Candyman crashes into one big struggle. It's not until Big River that sparks ignite with Brent getting Jer fired (as often happened in 89/90 when Brent was hot). Queen Jane has a great solo but Bird Song breaks down, becoming incohesive and Bobby takes Promised Land right off the rails, though Jer tries hard - even taking an extra bar.

2nd Set. Way better than the first. Help on the Way (which had been missing for four years) is just about perfect (again, thank Brent). Halftime pep talk? The rest of the set is average but good, except for a mediocre Eyes and a Gimme Some Lovin where nobody is even listening to each other. The set is saved by a great Morning Dew. It's the era where Bobby played the black Casio PG380 with the Modulus Blackknife neck, and really leaned on hitting his tremolo and pinging harmonics (which people seem to love or hate). And We Bid You Goodnight is one of six that year and just about the best.

1st Set:  D+
2nd Set: C+
Overall = 2 Stars. There are a couple dozen better '89 shows (including the next night).

Highlights:
Help on the Way
Morning Dew
And We Bid You Goodnight

SOURCES:
There's a Miller source AND a Bertha (25261) and a a great matrix. So which one is best? The Miller's the best on your stereo, the Bertha is EQd best for your computer/devices (but too EQd otherwise), the Matrix has the best energy.

This one gets overshadowed by the following night and it's a shame. The whole second set is massive with the band completely in sync with themselves and the audience. One of the last great Morning Dews.

This one needs no introduction; the older brother of the two most iconic shows of the 1980s...

1st set - Candyman's been done better, but they really do rip the lid off with Big River - almost too easy to overlook how good they play this one - Bobby can barely contain himself here. Bird Song is, of course, incredible and they take this one waaaaay out there, Jer on the MiDi flute and whatnot.

2nd set - Slipknot and Victim have a lot of interesting play going on; Space out from the Beam is always a winner - just listen to Phil or whoever that is lay down those really fat notes towards the end! Post-space is not *terribly* interesting until Gimme Some Lovin' (check the electro-drums) brings it back up for that monumental Morning Dew - wow!

The Goodnight encore is totally welcome, sets the table nicely for what occured the following night.

The GDM Road Trips are sucking up a lot of the best archival stuff in here. This is a new one for that series, rightfully so for it's amongst the very best. Smooth, rollicking set 1, a stunning Help>Slip>Frank's and inspired 2d set.

So stop everything you're doing, RCA this puppy through your stereo along with 10/9/89 and have at it or else it *will* fade away

..imo, maybe better. I know it's not a widely held opinion, but from beginning to end, just a spectacular show. Sure, the next night had a very good Dark Star and Attics, but here we get excellent versions of Help>Slip>Franklin's, Eyes, Bird Song, and one of my favorite Mydland-era Candyman's. Not to mention a just plain breathtaking Morning Dew. I'm sure if I was at these shows, my opinion would be alot different. I probably would have lost my mind during Dark Star. But listening to these shows almost 20 years later, I slightly prefer this one. But you can't really go wrong with either.

BTW, this is the cleanest version up here, which is not surprising given the name involved in the transfer. The Bertha version is great as well, but imo Mr. Miller's sound better on a nice system, while Mr. Ashley's sound better on an Ipod, or normal computer speakers. But to each his own.

But you CANNOT pass this one up for the next night! Get 'em both.